Sofi's Quest: SYOC
by 2019rocheca
Summary: 14-year old Sofi Lynch thinks of herself as an unpopular, dumb loser, whose only hope is to win the lottery. Because she'd never succeed elsewhere. Sofi proves herself wrong in an adventure she never thought could dream of, let alone accomplish. Wow, I'm terrible at summaries. Please R/R! T because I'm paranoid and there might be a bit of violence. *SYOC CLOSED*
1. Chapter 1: A surprise

**I do not own Percy Jackson or the Heroes of Olympus!**

**Chapter One**

**A surprise**

It started out as a normal day. The sun shone the same brightness as it usually did. The clouds were the same dull shade of grey. But something was gnawing at me. There was something I could almost taste in the thick air of New York City. Something that terrified me, yet I couldn't place my finger on it. But there was no one to tell it to who wouldn't sit me down and give me a glass of water. No one who actually cared about what I had to say. So I just shrugged it off, like I usually do.

I took a quick shower. My showers are always less that 5 minutes, mostly because our apartment has no hot water. I pulled on a dark blue shirt and jeans. "Hey, Mom," I called out as I bounded down the creaky steps. "What's for breakfast?"

I was answered by a groan. _Probably didn't have her coffee yet, _I think. The table is empty, so I pour myself a glass of orange juice and stuff some frozen waffles into the toaster. The juice has a slight metallic taste. That is the price you pay when you buy weird organic generic foods on sale! It is also the price of having a mother who does the shopping in your household.

"Any tests?" Mom says without looking up from her _Reader's Digest _magazine.

"Yeah...a math quiz, I think." I peek over her shoulder. She is reading an article about home decorations. "I studied, Mom. Don't worry about it."

"I never worry, sweetie," she says, and yet there's a certain panic to her voice, so slight I barely catch it. As if she is lying. When she lies, even a white lie, her voice rises in pitch a half of a step right at the end of her sentence.

Whatever. I have to hurry, or else I'll be late. I shove a sweatshirt over my head, then sling my backpack over my shoulder and dash out the door. "Love you, Mom!" I say absentmindedly, and see the bus starting to pull in. I have to run.

I make it in the nick of time. The bus starts to move, but then Gary screams, "Stop!" The brakes screech and the doors open, and I jog onto the bus.

"Thanks, Gary."

"No problem." He grins, then pats the seat next to him. "So...how about that math test? Did you study?" I shake my head no. Actually, I have no idea why Gary hangs out with me. He's, like, the smartest kid I know. And I'm a straight C student. Sure, I'm more of a jock, but that doesn't mean he has to hang out with me to stay popular. He could have plenty of friends if he didn't talk to me. It almost makes me suspicious, but he's the only friend I have.

"I don't care if I bomb the test," I say, "I just want to get out of this dump."

"What are you calling a dump?" Gary says, "C'mon, Sofi, there's got to be _something _you like here." He coughs dramatically. "Like a certain friend."

I laugh. Then I look around the bus. "Everything here is so...chaotic. I just wish there was somewhere else I could go." He swallows, almost guiltily. "What? Is there something you wanted to tell me?"

"Uh...yeah." He averted his eyes. "I'm not coming back next year. My mom found this summer camp for me."

"Wait...it's a summer camp, right? So you can stay during the year."

"No, it's complicated. My mom signed me up for the year round option."

"Why? And how long have you waited to tell me this?!" Instead of feeling upset that my best-and only-friend was leaving, I felt a bubble of rage in my chest. "Where is this camp, anyway?"

"It's a place called Half-Blood Hill." He smiles, almost in a daze. But then he blinks, and grimaces. "You're not thinking of...coming too, are you?"

"Why not? If you can do it, then I can too."

His cheeks flush bright red. "It's not like that, Sofi... it's more complicated."

"Like how?" Suddenly we were interrupted by a scream. The bus driver swerved to the side of the road. "What the...?"

The doors to the bus were ripped open by two...monsters? "OH MY GOD! What are those things?" I stare at disbelief at Gary, who just shakes his head. "You recognize them?" This can't be happening. I mean, can't a person go to prison-oh sorry, school-without being interrupted by mysterious creatures who look like they stepped out of a Star Trek movie? Seriously, get a life! And were they talking in cling-on?

No. I could understand them. The taller one said in a gravelly voice, "Must feed on the demigod's flesh," They sniffed around. "Two of them here, I can smell it."

"Oh, yes!" The other cried out in a weird expression that was most likely an attempt at a smile.

Gary looked as confused as I was. "Two? I thought..." His eyes widened and he looked at me in awe. "Sofi, what do you see?"

"I see two monsters trying to KILL US! Come on Gary! We have to get out of here!" He doesn't take a hint. He won't budge.

"You...you're a half-blood!" I roll my eyes.

"Whatever that means. Seriously, Gary." We both open the emergency door, and everyone jumps out. But the monsters have reached us, and the door closes all of a sudden. I turn around, and realize this is the end. But then, with a flash of bronze light, they turn to dust before my eyes. "A sword? Oh, I see. That's why you're backpack's so heavy. Now would you mind explaining all of this" I gesture towards everything "to me? Because I am reeeaally getting ticked off with you."

He sighs, and begins his story.

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**Okay, so that was the first chapter! I'm doing to fanfictions at once, so I might not write chapter two for a LONG time. Yeah. Sorry. This is my first Percy Jackson FanFiction, so please don't laugh at me. I'm not really sure about this...**

**Thanks for reading and PLEASE REVIEW! =)**


	2. Chapter 2: A New Home

**I do not own Percy Jackson or the Heroes of Olympus!**

**Chapter 2  
A New Home**

Gary and I wait on the side of the road nervously. He told me about Camp Half-Blood. It turns out I'm like him. A demigod. Half-mortal, half-god. Apparently, Greek gods are real, and they...I shiver, thinking. My mom WENT OUT WITH A GREEK GOD?

Still, I have some nervous feelings about this summer camp. Apparently, it is safe there. I hope they arrive soon, because two teenagers are sitting in a ditch next to a ruined bus. The police are arriving soon, and I am not going to spend my afternoon in a jail cell. He sent something he calls an Iris-message to camp, and a man with a hundred eyes said that reinforcements would be on the way.

"So, Gary. When are your friends getting here?" I sound like I'm about to kill him, but don't blame me.

"I know you're mad, but I had good reason not to tell you." He bit his lip. "Some mortals just can't stand it and go crazy."

"Yeah, and I'm _definitely _not going crazy,"

He sighs. "You wouldn't understand." I frown. I have no idea what happened, but suddenly Gary isn't a very good friend. At least he knew this stuff. I mean, what is my mom going to think? Maybe he could comfort me or something, considering that my head feels like it's going to explode.

"What is that thing?" I look up to the sky. It looks like a mix between a miniature fireball hurtling towards the earth and a flying hippie van. "They came!" I cross my arms over my chest.

"About time." With a closer look, it a brightly colored chariot led by two pegasi. It is led by a tall boy with tanned skin and dark hair, and in the chariot with him is a girl who must work out. She has bulging muscles. The two almost look like siblings, though the girl looks a lot angrier.

"So you two are the ones who needed rescuing." The boy stands tall, and smirks at the camper next to him. "How long do you think they'll last?"

"Oh, I don't know...a week? Maybe less if they mess with me." She looks my age, medium height, and has short, mussy black hair. And evil eyes. "Your first lesson at Camp Half-Blood: _Never _mess with a child of Nemesis." After she was sure she had shaken me up, she held out her hand in introduction. "I'm Brooke Rigby, and you are...?"

"Sofi Lynch," I answer immediately. _Maintain eye contact. _That's what I learned from my mom, who worked as a manager for 10 years. _Firm handshake. _I grip her hand tightly. Gary introduces himself, and then the boy exits the chariot. "Daniel Grant," he says. "And before we get our friendship bracelets, can we please leave? Chiron might get upset. You know how he is with newbies." Brooke nods.

We step into the chariot, and fly peacefully over the tree tops. "You should be glad you're in New York. No one wants to be in this vehicle at top speed." Brooke remarks. "Except for him, of course," She gestures towards Daniel. "He's the son of Zeus, you know." He grins, and Brooke rolls her eyes again.

"Looks like we're here." I swear it must be Daniel softening our land, because it's gentler than any plane landing I've ever been through. My ears don't even pop. The chariot plops softly onto the earth, and we step out. I gasp, and turn in a circle. The place is beautiful, like every summer camp my mom could never afford to send me to. Strawberries litter the area, and the sweet aroma makes my mouth water.

To my right is an archery range. "Coming through," Daniel says, and everyone backs up a step. We pass through without being impaled in the chest. Brooke points out the sword arena. "We'll get you a proper tour soon, but first you two need to see Chiron. Come on, we're going to the Big House." We walk up to a colonial-looking house with a porch swing and a rocking chair on the porch.

Gary and I step in nervously. "Chiron!" Brooke calls. "The newbies are here!"

A centaur walks to the door, dressed in a plain white tee, and a bow and arrow is slung over his back. He smiles and says, "You didn't get Brooke mad, did you?" We all laugh, even Brooke. "We don't know your parents yet, so you'll be staying in the Hermes cabin for now."

I think back to my mythology unit in school last year. "But isn't that the god of...thieves? I'm going to stay in a cabin with thieves?"

"He's also the god of hospitality," Chiron said. "His children are good." Then his expression turns dark. "Well, most of the time."

Daniel explains, "Luke was a demigod who turned to the dark side. He joined Kronos and his army, and was eventually destroyed. He was driven by a hatred of the gods. That's the thing with gods. Sometimes they can do things that are really mortal-like. But more often than not, they stand up for us. They stick with their promises."

"Good explanation, Daniel," Chiron says, "Although I don't think that applies to my own father..." They laugh. I decide not to ask. "Don't worry, Sofi, Gary, I'll arrange a proper tour for you soon enough. Brooke and Daniel, you can take these two to their new cabin."

He stares off into the distance, nodoubt lost in some old memory of his. We leave him, and I swallow my excitement. _This is my new home,_ is all I can think.

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Thanks for reading this chapter! And thanks to all of you who sent me campers.  
I still need some campers whose parents are some of the main gods. But I love all of your suggestions! Wait for the next chapter for your character!  
Read my Hunger Games fanfiction.  
I hope you like this story...Please review!


	3. Chapter 3: The Tour

**There is a reference to some original characters in this chapter. It does not fit with the book's plotline, but I tried my best. Sorry if I offend anyone, though I don't think it's offensive.**

**I also apologize because I haven't posted in a while. I've been waiting for some more SYOCs to come in, so don't get angry at me!**

**A warning, this is a LONG chapter.**

**And now to the story...**

* * *

**I do not own Percy Jackson or the Heroes of Olympus!**

**Chapter 3**

**A Tour of Camp**

Once my things are settled, Brooke helps me out by volunteering to show me around. "Camp's a good place," she pauses, then adds, "For demigods, at least. Mortals don't belong here. Of course, there are some exceptions. Like Rachel."

"Rachel?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Our oracle. Before we had her, you would need to go up to the attic and talk to a mummy. The Oracle of Delphi, who had been preserved for thousands of years. She was very creepy. Most didn't have the courage to go up there. That was a while ago, before I came to camp." She sighed. "I've always wanted to go on a quest. Chiron says that children of Nemesis aren't meant to go on quests, though."

"You'll get your chance someday. You look like a pretty cool demigod to me." She blushes. But I really, I mean it. She welcomed me into a strange place where the only person I know is my "best friend" who _forgot _to tell me about his parentage. Whoops! And yes, I am still mad at him. I don't care what anyone says, he should have told me.

"Anyways, this is the pegasi stable." My eyes must have been wide. "Yes, we have pegasi. You want to meet some of them?" I nod my head furiously. We enter the chamber, which smells like old tuna, dead grass, and...donuts? Brooke gestured towards a big black stallion. "Sofi, meet Blackjack. Blackjack, Sofi." His eyes were pleading with me.

"Is he hungry or something?" She laughed.

"Of course he is. He just wants some donuts." I laugh. We leave the stable.

"How long do the tours usually take?" The camp is huge.

"About a day. We'll be done before dinner." Dinner? My stomach growls. Oh, right. I haven't had lunch, and I'm a growing teen with a big stomach. Makes sense that I would be starving. "Don't worry, there's plenty to go around." Brooke shows me a wood. "You can call monsters here if you want practice," she says.

"What?! You're crazy! Who would want to..." She gives me a look that tells me not to be an idiot and it effectively shuts me up. "Anyways, how big is it?"

"Who knows? All kind of stuff, like the Council of Cloven Elders. They're the leaders of the satyrs. We also play capture the flag in there. Now that I think about it, a _lot _of things happen in that place. It's like a jungle in there. You do not want to get lost, or else..."

"Wait, did someone actually get lost in there?"

"Well, officially, we don't know. They just went in and never came back out. Chiron said they might be lost..."

"Did you know them?" I ask. There's a little sorrow behind her voice. I wish I could comfort her in some way.

Brooke swallows. "Not personally," she chokes out. "But I...always looked up to them. There were two of them, actually. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase." Brooke looks thoroughly depressed at these words, but the names don't ring a bell with me. "They were the two most powerful demigods in the camp. Percy was the son of Poseidon, and Annabeth was a daughter of Athena." She looks into the trees. "Chiron went into a temporary depression. People have been searching for about eight months. No one has found them. Not yet, anyways. My dream has always been to be the one to discover where they were." Brooke sighs. "A lot of people think they're dead. But I refuse to acknowledge that."

"I have a feeling you'll be the one. You've got determination. If you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything." I grin, then add, "Plus, you're half-god!"

"C'mon, I want to show you the rest of the camp." She pulls my arm and drags me to a clearing. A ring of cabins form an Omega symbol. Then other cabins are scattered across the field. _Lots _of cabins. "Are we going into every single one?" She just laughs in my face.

"Of course not. That's a stupid idea. What do you think we are, idiots?" _Could've fooled me, _I think, _You have kids fight with sharp weapons and call monsters into the camp. _

"So, which one is mine?"

"We don't know yet," I must look disappointed, because she hastily adds, "You'll probably be claimed tonight at the campfire. That's when most gods claim their children. Wait, is your mortal parent your mom or your dad?"

"Mom," I say. "I hope I get someone good...wow, that came out wrong. I hope...well, I honestly don't know what I want."

"Yeah," Brooke agrees with me. "A powerful dad can get you in deep trouble. Your scent is stronger. But, you get more power. I mean, what's my power? Seriously! But I don't have as much trouble with my scent." She gestures over to the cabins. "Let me introduce you to some of the campers." We head down the hill where a bunch of teenagers are milling about.

I see Daniel and nod towards him. Brooke leads me towards the first cabin. It's a dark cabin, smelling of machine oil and metal. Not exactly cozy, but it might be comforting to these sorts of people. A boy, maybe 16, stands in the middle of the room. He looks more like a man than a boy. He is almost six feet tall and broad shouldered, but it's hard to tell, with him hunched over like that.

"Darren!" Brooke calls out. The boy jumps, then puts what he's doing down. His face flushes, though I'm not quite sure why. "Darren, meet Sofi. Sofi, meet Darren." We shake hands, and he quickly pulls away. We linger there for a moment or two, but he looks like he might pass out. We leave him to his work. "Don't worry. He's a naturally shy person."

The next cabin is brick, clean stones. Grape vines twirl around the bright red wall, juicy fruit that makes my mouth water. "Hey," A wobbly teen staggers out of the cabin. "New girl?" he manages with difficulty. Brooke laughs at him.

"Hey, Jeff. How many...?"

"Uh...3 glasses." He slicks back his shoulder length hair in a ponytail.

"Don't tell me you expect me to believe you." He swallowed. He looked scared. Jeff adjusted his deep purple suit. Then he belched, Brooke and I holding our breath for a long, long, time. When he had left, we gasped for breath.

"Ahh...fresh air. Anyways, who was that guy? And isn't he a bit young to be drinking? He can't be more than 16!"

"Son of Dionysus," she said as if that explained everything. Then, seeing my puzzled expression, she added, "God of wine." I nod. I smile in a sad sort of way. How am I supposed to remember all of these names and meanings? I can barely keep track of the campers.

The next cabin we approach smells of darkness; an old wise darkness, one that no one can comprehend. Greenish mist pours out of a partially opened door. An ancient language-Greek, I recognize it-is being uttered. I feel an urge to lie down on the grass and listen to it. It's like a kind of music, softly spoken and mystical. "_Let the evil escape this peaceful camp," _one of them whispers. I hear a pop and a purplish shield shimmers like a dome around the camp.

"Whoa," is all I can say. I must seem dazzled because Brooke laughs.

"The children of Hecate reinforce our border. It protects it from the eyes of mortals, and it also keeps monsters out. Originally, our source of power was that pine tree in the front of the camp. See it?" She gestures towards the tree I passed on my way in. "That proved to be a bad idea. This one demigod poisoned the tree and we were defenseless. Ever since we started accepting minor gods' children, Hecate's sons and daughters have been a huge help. They can assist all of the other campers." As we speak, a dark haired girl comes towards us. She's fairly tan, with dark grey eyes that bore right through me.

"Talking about me, huh?" I notice some faded purple streaks in her hair. "New girl?" She looks down at me.

"If I had a dime for every time I heard that, I'd be a very rich girl." I sigh. The tour barely started, yet I'm starving. I can't wait for dinner. Still, there's a lot of cabins.

"I'm not surprised. I'm Hunter, daughter of Hecate. And you are...?"

"Sofi. I don't know who my father is, not yet."

"No duh." Wow, this girl was unnerving. How do you make conversation who counters everything you say?

"It's been a pleasure," I practically drag Brooke away. "Umm...does she just hate me?"

"She probably just thinks you're an idiot."

"Well that's a relief." I say sarcastically. "Anyways, what's next?"

Brooke leads me to two cabins, one bright gold and the other shimmering silver. They were so different and yet the same in a way. "The cabins of Helios and Selene. The first sun god was Helios. He was replaced by Apollo. Same with Selene, the first goddess of the moon, replaced by Artemis. There are only two campers combined, one in each cabin. They're closer than most of us here..." Her voice trails off as the two come out of their cabins.

The first girl has a silver glow to her skin. Her hair is tied back in a braid that reaches her knees. "Hi. I'm Angelina," the girl says quietly. Angelina's eyes are quite distracting-big grey ones that reflect a different light than the one outside-a more mysterious one. She wears a black sleeveless blouse, a sliver jacket, and tall boots with silver chains.

The boy introduces himself as Noah. His hair is jet black and messy, and his eyes are just as big as Angelina's, except they are gold instead. He wears a white collared shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Both of them have a token that explain their heritage: Angelina has a moon locket and Noah has a sun shaped buckle on his combat boots.

Angelina seems shy, but Noah jumps right into a conversation. "So, you're new here, right? What's your name?"

"I'm Sofi. Nice to meet you." I hold out my hand to Noah, who gives it a firm shake. I offer a handshake to Angelina too, who just stares at my open palm. _Okay, then..._

We leave the clearing, heading to the next cabin. "Hey, what's the thing with Angelina?"

"She...she doesn't like to be touched. Just don't mess with her, or else Noah will personally kill you. Literally, he'll set you on fire." I grimace. "They're related godly and mortally. They also lost the rest of their family. That's when they got really close-surviving monster attacks, trying to figure out what was going on...they had a rough time, but they managed it. Now they're practically inseparable. Okay, next cabin: Keto's children."

"Who's Keto?" I wish it could have made it easier for me. I mean, seriously, how many gods and goddesses are there?

"Goddess of sea monsters. She has a son, Isak. Here he is." A boy with dark, curly hair and square framed glasses sits on the edge of a dock. His arm jerks out and grips a thrashing fish. He twists it, and eats the meat off of the fresh salmon. He turns around, obviously a bit embarrassed. He throws the bones in the water, and stands up.

"Hi," he greets in a Swedish accent, "I'm Isak. Are you the new girl?" I groan, and he laughs. "Hey, don't worry, Camp's a good place for people like you." He holds out his hand, and I shake it. "Welcome home," he says again. He sits down again, and starts to stroke a dolphin I didn't even know was there. We leave him to his work.

"We've got a lot of children of minor gods. Oh, look, here's Zane!" A tall boy is walking towards us. He has shaggy brown hair and amber eyes. He wears an orange T-shirt and loose green shorts.

"Hi," Zane says quietly, "I'm Zane. And you are...?"

"Sofi." He nods.

Zane looks towards Brooke. "Claimed or not?"

"Not yet, probably tonight." He smiles.

"Good luck, Sofi. If you need any help, the Aristaeus cabin is ready to help." When he leaves, Brooke lets a laugh slip out.

"What is it?"

"Aristaeus is the god of bee-keeping, cattle, husbandry...there's not much you need help in that category." She grins wickedly. "It's time for you to meet Astrea. You'll like her. I just know it." We head over to a bright white and bluish cabin. The air around it is cold. My breath starts to appear in puffs. It reminds me of snow days when we got off of school and would romp around in big boots. Good times.

A girl with choppy white hair stands inside. Her icy blue eyes light up when she sees us. Her figure is graceful, like a dancer. She wears a navy blue hoodie and dark jeans, with hi-top Converse. Her smile is small, but reminds me of rare stolen moments of happiness. I like her instantly.

"Astrea Roven," she introduces herself. "Daughter of Khione." We talk politely for a bit, then say our goodbyes.

"Sorry to rush you out of there," Brooke apologizes, "I know you really like Astrea. She's a good friend of mine. She's also really powerful. But I also know that you're hungry, and if we're going to finish this tour, we can't stay for too long at any one cabin."

"I wasn't accusing," I say, "but thanks anyways. I sometimes need a reminder as to when to stop talking." I grin.

"Next cabin: Tyche, goddess of luck."

"What, can she pull four leaf clovers out of thin air?"

"Something like that." The cabin we approach is filled with knickknacks. One kid reads a crystal ball. Coins are scattered everywhere. For some reason there is a rudder. "Jay! Meet Sofi." A boy turns around and faces us. He has shaggy brown hair, chocolate eyes, and a mischievous smile.

"Hello, I'm Jacob, but you can call me Jay." He holds out his hand, and I shake it. We exchange polite introductions, but it feels a little weird for me. I mean, it was a bit hard for me to make friends when everyone pointed me out as "that kid who can't read". Not much room for friendships there. In fact, our school was fairly small, and no one ever introduced me to everyone. I have never met so many people at once.

Brooke elbowed me. "Are you tired?"

"Please tell me we can eat soon..."

"Sorry. One or two more cabins to visit. Don't worry, it'll be quick. Just the Apollo cabin. Oh, here's Luke."

I gasp. "Luke?"

Brooke looks confused at first, then her eyes widen. "Oh, of course, not _that _Luke! Oh my gosh! Did you really think...oh wow." She laughs at my discomfort. "This is Luke, son of _Apollo. _The original was a son of _Hermes. _Yeah...did you think we'd keep a camper that betrayed us, poisoned the pine tree, killed campers and centaurs, and almost destroyed the earth and sent us into a dark age?"

"I don't know, you didn't really provide me with any information!" I laugh, and so does Brooke.

We walk up towards a normal looking cabin, but as the sun glares upon it, it shimmers like gold. A camper stands outside with blond hair and powder blue eyes. He has a hard set jaw and thick brows. "Hey, who's this?" he asks Brooke, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh, give it a rest, will you?" The daughter of Nemesis growled. Luke backed up uneasily. "Anyways, Sofi-Luke. Luke-Sofi." Brooke was obviously eager to get out of there, as soon as possible. She herded me out of the way. "Maybe I should have warned you: Luke is a big flirt. He had this curse, from his father. He went on a quest to get Hermes's staff, and he actually retrieved it, by making with a deal: that he would return the staff. Then he broke his promise and broke the staff. Hermes cursed him so that he can't feel love anymore. Only the 'perfect girl' will satisfy him. He's dated almost every person in camp, only to break up with them."

"Even you?" I was answered by silence. "Oh... I'm sorry. Is everyone in that cabin so...?"

"No, most of them are fine, just watch out for Luke." Eager to change the subject, she spoke again, "C'mon. Dinner's ready. Let's go to the mess hall. Your plates fill themselves...and you know where to sit, right?"

"Of course, with the Hermes cabin." My stomach starts to growl uncontrollably. We head down the hill, and step into a pavilion full of tables and chairs. "Uh...where exactly is my table?"

"Over there," she points to the largest group full of mischievous kids. They pocket some change as I come over.

"Hey! Look, it's the new girl..." I sit as far away from them as possible, yet they just move with me. "What's your name? Who's your parent? Determined or not?" I groan in response, only motivating them further. They press me with more questions, each one even more stupid. I can barely hear myself over their annoying attempts at conversation.

Gary waves me over, but I ignore him.

"DIG IN!" A deep voice bellows above the ruckus. Food appears on our plates, and I eagerly pick up my fork when I see the mouth watering chicken, the fluffy mountain of mashed potatoes, and the corn on the cob...but I restrain myself when everyone stands up and moves to the fire. I watch as they shovel their dinner into the flames, and follow their lead. Each camper mutters something to the blaze. I ask one of the Hermes kids what's going on.

"First, your name," the boy says.

"Oh, alright, it's Sofi. Now what's going on?"

"Okay, so every night at dinner, the gods expect an offering. Of course we're not going to sacrifice chickens or anything, so instead we portion out a small part of our dinner. You say a prayer to a certain god or goddess, which most people choose their parents, and burn part of your food." And so I follow their instructions carefully. When I step up to the inferno I dump a few peas and a clump of mashed potatoes. The rest I leave for myself.

"Uh...Dad? Whoever you are, I just was wondering if you could help me. Um...I'm kind of scared. Please help me; who am I? What am I supposed to do?" My voice cracks. "Thanks." I quickly leave to go to my table, and stuff all of the food I can into my mouth. But before I can finish my meal, we're called to the campfire. I catch up with Brooke, who encourages me.

"Maybe you'll be claimed!" She cheers. "Aren't you excited?" I nod, but really I am afraid that I will not be claimed. That I am not worth the effort. I pause, look up to the sky, and say a final silent prayer to Olympus. Then Brooke and I run to catch up with all the others.

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**How was this chapter? Please give feedback! I love reviews.**

**Thanks again to everyone who submitted a camper-and if your camper was not included, please PM me. I am a forgetful person.**


	4. Chapter 4: Claiming

**I do not own PJO or HoO**

**Chapter 4**

**Claiming**

The night is going to be a long one. I can taste it in the air. But not only that, I can feel it in my gut. It's the dread of waiting to be claimed.

You want to know the truth, but you want to savor the last moments you have to dream. Dream about your heritage, dream about the things you could have accomplished...my dreams could be crushed at any moment in time. I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for, but I am scared of what I will discover. Who is my father? Who am I? Parentage can affect a person greatly. I am also curious to the powers I will have. Brooke told me about the abilities campers have when they have powerful parents, like...gods.

I follow the daughter of Nemesis to the arena-like structure. A small arena, that is. Steps encircle a blaze, and flags mark the different cabins. I reluctantly part with my friend to sit next to my new cabin. _I can't wait to get out of here, _I think. The ten of them are whispering to each other and giggling like a bunch of children. Except for the fact that children are whispering about something adorable. These teens are devising something against me. I can tell, just in the way that their eyebrows wiggle, and every once in a while they sneak a glance at me. Either they'll prank me or they're trying to scare me.

The fire blazes a bright orange color. The flames reach up in tendrils to meet the sky. The night is chilly, but with the combination of body heat and the warmth radiating from the campfire, the atmosphere reminds me of a bright spring day. I mention it to my cabin mates. "Isn't it a bit warm for winter in New York?"

They laugh. "The camp's enchanted so that we can train outside all year if we want. If we can use magic, we might as well." Then they resume their plans.

The Apollo cabin starts a sing-along. The warmth, the closeness of everyone, and the song make me dizzy. Chiron steps up and silences the others. He clears his throat. "As most of you know, two campers have arrived today; Sofi Lynch and Gary Hodge. Will everyone give a round of applause to these demigods for getting to camp without a satyr to protect them?" Most of the camp claps, but I realize that not many of them are here. I remember Brooke telling me about Percy and Annabeth being searched for.

"And another cheer for Gary's resourcefulness! He had the sense to run and contact camp immediately. He also recognized Sofi as a half-blood, and brought her to camp." I snort quietly. _Had the sense to run? _I remember clearly that he had refused to move, only stared at me confused and kept repeating, "I can't believe it," Still, the campers clap again.

"Neither of these two has been claimed. We are hopeful, however, that their godly parents will recognize them as soon as possible. In case you have not met them yet, please stand, Sofi and Gary." We both rise from our bleachers. When we sit down, I hear a loud farting noise and look around. It came from the now appalled Aphrodite cabin. The Hermes cabin is giggling like crazy, and some girls are staring daggers at us. _So _this _is what they were planning..._ I try to lose myself in the songs.

We sing about Hercules and his feats of bravery, how he slayed the Nemean lion, the Lernean Hydra, how he got the hind of Artemis's deer, he brought the Erymantian boar back alive...how are we supposed to live up to these standards? Hercules was turned into a _god. _

The song goes on for a bit longer, until it stops abruptly in the middle of a verse. Everyone stares...at me? No. I turn around to see Gary surrounded by wind. It blows his hair around, and he almost hovers off of the ground. Above his head was a glowing ring that shows a gust of wind. Chiron kneels toward Gary, and the others follow suit. "Hail, Gary Hodge, son of Aeolus." He walks over to an empty seating area. _He'll have his cabin all to himself, and I'll probably be stuck with these idiots! _

A peculiar feeling sparks inside of me. It is like a warm, gentle tug. I close my eyes, and when I open them again halos of light emanate from my skin. The air around me becomes extremely hot, and I briefly wonder if I am feverish, but that wouldn't explain the light. Again Chiron kneels, but this time to me. "Hail, Sofi Lynch, daughter of Apollo." _Thank you, Father, _I pray silently.

I head over to the cluster of now now excited children of Apollo who clap me on the back in congratulations. "Welcome," a girl says, grinning.

* * *

**Sorry about the shortness...especially compared to last chapter. Please review!**

**Thanks again to everyone who read this chapter.**


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